A MAN who racially abused an Asian police officer has walked free from court - because he spent three months on remand for another allegation.

Geoffrey Ward was told he would have been locked up had he not spent the equivalent of a six-month sentence while he awaited trial for alleged arson.

Yesterday, Ward was cleared of the fireraising charge when prosecutors admitted they were facing "insurmountable witness difficulties".

But the 48-year-old was given a 12-month community sentence after he admitted racially aggravated intentional harassment towards police officer Mohammed Mughal on April 22.

Teesside Crown Court heard that the officer had been called to deal with a domestic matter and, after he had been arrested, Ward repeatedly uttered racist remarks.

Richard Bennett, defending, said Ward denied he was racist, but accepted he had been offensive, although he had no recollection because he was so drunk.

"It was not a prolonged incident. The words were short, but unpleasant," Mr Bennett told the court

The Recorder of Middlesbrough, Judge Peter Fox, imposed a one-year community sentence with a condition that Ward has supervision and seeks help for his alcohol problem.

Ward, of Lilac Terrace, Shildon, County Durham, was found not guilty of arson, said to have been committed at his home in March.

Judge Fox told him the racial abuse was "gratuitously offensive as well as insulting" and added: "It will not be tolerated."

He said: "If you had not spent the past three months or so in prison, then my sentence for this matter would be very different."